Perpustakaan keluarga Helmut T T Simamora dan dr. Olga Y.V. Hutapea
Berikut kutipan ilmiah kedokteran yang bermanfaat bagi Penulis dan keluarga sehingga disusun dan digunakan sebagai referensi pribadi.
What Are the Symptoms of a Stroke?
You should consider these symptoms warning signs and consult your health care provider:
- Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body.
- Abrupt loss of vision, strength, coordination, sensation, speech, or the ability to understand speech. These symptoms may become worse over time.
- Sudden dimness of vision, especially in one eye.
- Sudden loss of balance, possibly accompanied by vomiting, nausea, fever, hiccups, or trouble with swallowing.
- Sudden and severe headache with no other cause followed rapidly by loss of consciousness -- indications of a stroke due to bleeding.
- Brief loss of consciousness.
- Unexplained dizziness or sudden falls.
When you have an ischemic stroke, the oxygen-rich blood supply to part of yourbrain is reduced. With a hemorrhagic stroke, there is bleeding in the brain.
After about 4 minutes without blood and oxygen, brain cells become damaged and may die. The body tries to restore blood and oxygen to the cells by enlarging other blood vessels (arteries) near the area.
Strokes and migraines share many of the same symptoms and are sometimes mistaken for each other. But does a migraine cause a stroke or vice versa? Research doesn't show that. Studies do show that if you get a lot of migraines, you may have a higher chance of having a stroke later in life. But the risk is small.
If blood supply isn't restored, permanent damage usually occurs. The body parts controlled by those damaged cells cannot function.
This loss of function may be mild or severe. It may be temporary or permanent. It depends on where and how much of the brain is damaged and how fast the blood supply can be returned to the affected cells. Life-threatening complications may also occur. This is why it's important to get treatment as soon as possible.
Recovery
Recovery depends on the location and amount of brain damage caused by the stroke, the ability of other healthy areas of the brain to take over for the damaged areas, and rehabilitation. In general, the less damage there is to the brain tissue, the less disability results and the greater the chances of a successful recovery.
Stroke is the most common nervous-system–related cause of physical disability. Of people who survive a stroke, half will still have some disability 6 months after the stroke.
You have the greatest chance of regaining your abilities during the first few months after a stroke. Regaining some abilities, such as speech, comes slowly, if at all. About half of all people who have a stroke will have some long-term problems with talking, understanding, and decision-making. They also may have changes in behavior that affect their relationships with family and friends.
After a stroke, you (or a caregiver) may also notice:
- Changes in speed of action.
- Changes in judgment.
- Changes in emotions.
- Changes in perception (the ability to judge distance, size, position, rate of movement, form, and how parts relate to the whole).
- Memory problems.
- Problems from neglecting the affected side of the body.
Long-term problems
Long-term complications of a stroke, such as depression and pneumonia, may develop right away or months to years after a stroke.
Some long-term problems may be prevented with proper home treatment and medical follow-up. For more information, see Home Treatment.
Have you had a stroke? How could you tell?
A stroke is a sudden stop of blood supply to part of the brain. Some people have strokes without ever knowing it. These so-called silent strokes either have no easy-to-recognize symptoms, or you don’t remember them. But they do cause permanent damage in your brain.
If you've had more than one silent stroke, you may have thinking and memory problems. They can also lead to more severe strokes.
Detecting a Silent Stroke
If you have a silent stroke, you probably won’t know it, unless you happen to have a brain scan and the damage shows up. You may have slight memory problems or a little difficulty getting around. A doctor may be able to see signs of silent strokes without testing.
Different From TIA
Like most regular strokes, silent strokes are caused by blood clots in the brain that don't dissolve.
Warning strokes, known as TIAs, or transient ischemic attacks, are caused by blood clots that dissolve on their own in 5 minutes or less. Unlike silent strokes, they don't permanently damage the brain. If you have a TIA, you’ll probably have some of these typical stroke symptoms:
- One side of the face drooping or feeling numb
- Weakness or numbness in one arm or leg
- Slurred or hard-to-understand speech
- Difficulty understanding speech
- Sudden confusion
- Sudden loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headaches
If you have any of these symptoms, call 911, even if it goes away after a few minutes. Like strokes, TIAs are medical emergencies, and it's important to treat them quickly.
Silent Strokes More Common Than You'd Expect
A study of middle-aged people with no apparent signs of stroke found that about 10% had brain damage from one.
High blood pressure and irregular heartbeat raise your risk.
The damage that occurs is permanent, but therapy might help you regain functions that may have weakened, using other parts of your brain.
Prevent Strokes With Good Habits
These healthy habits can help you lower your risk of both stroke and heart disease:
- Monitor and control your blood pressure.
- Monitor and control your cholesterol.
- Keep your blood sugar under control.
- If you smoke, quit.
- Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Cut back on fat, salt, and sugar.
- Get regular exercise.
- Keep a healthy weight.
After a stroke, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns about how -- and even if -- you will recover. When will you be able to move your arms? Is your independent life gone forever?
It's difficult to predict to what degree someone will recover after a stroke, says Randie M. Black-Schaffer, MD. Schaffer is medical director of the Stroke Program at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. "How quickly a patient recovers in the first few weeks," she says, "can give us an indication of how much damage occurred, and we can make some educated guesses based on that."
Have you had a stroke? How could you tell? A stroke is a sudden stop of blood supply to part of the brain. Some people have strokes without ever knowing it. These so-called silent strokes either have no easy-to-recognize symptoms, or you don’t remember them. But they do cause permanent damage in your brain. If you've had more than one silent stroke, you may have thinking and memory problems. They can also lead to more severe strokes.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, how well you recover depends upon the type of stroke you had, how much brain damage occurred from the stroke, your age, and how quickly rehabilitation begins.
Black-Schaffer advises learning all you can about what caused your stroke and what you can do to avoid further health problems. Use the following questions as a guide when you talk with your doctor about what to expect in the months and years ahead.
1. What caused my stroke?
Eighty percent of all strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is suddenly cut off -- usually by a blood clot or some other obstruction. This is called an ischemic stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain.
Knowing the type of stroke you had can help your doctor determine the underlying cause. For example, an ischemic stroke may be caused by a blocked artery due to the buildup of plaque -- a mixture of cholesterol and other lipids, or blood fats. People with atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries from plaque buildup, are more at risk for this type of stroke. High blood pressure is a common culprit in hemorrhagic stroke. Both of these conditions increase the risk of stroke, and managing them can help prevent a second stroke.
2. Am I at risk for a second stroke?
The overall risk of a second stroke is highest right after a stroke. Three percent of survivors have a second stroke in the first 30 days, and one-third will have another within two years.
"However, individual risk factors are highly variable," Black-Schaffer says. "That's why it's vital to talk with your doctor to understand your specific risk factors and develop a plan to minimize them."
High blood pressure is the number one cause of stroke and the biggest risk factor for stroke. Having heart disease, high blood cholesterol, or diabetes also puts you at risk. Lifestyle factors that put you at risk include smoking cigarettes, obesity, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol consumption, and illicit drug use.
3. What is the stroke recovery process?
Although your stroke rehabilitation program will be tailored to your specific needs, most people follow a similar path. You'll begin to do assisted exercises in the hospital once your medical condition has stabilized.
From there, you may go to an in-patient rehab facility where you will receive intensive therapy to help you become more independent. Once you are able to return home, you may receive outpatient therapy or home therapy to help you recover as much as possible.
Formal rehabilitation takes place for about three to six months. But studies have shown that stroke patients who continue to practice the skills they learned in rehabilitation continue to see progress long after a stroke has occurred.
4. How long will my recovery from stroke take?
Stroke recovery is different for every patient. Although some people with a mild stroke recover quickly, for most stroke survivors, recovery is a lifelong process.
"While the biggest gains will be made in the first three months after a stroke, patients can continue to recover ... even years later," Black-Schaffer says. "The key is to get into a daily pattern of exercise."
5. Am I at risk for depression after a stroke?
Becoming depressed after a stroke is very common. So ask your doctor about the symptoms of depression so that you and your caregivers know what to look for. Post-stroke depression is thought to be caused in part by biochemical changes in the brain. It's also a completely normal reaction to the losses caused by a stroke. Whatever the reason, treatment is essential. Fortunately, depression can be effectively treated with medication and/or counseling.
6. What medications will I be taking and do they have any side effects?
Strokes are most often caused by blood clots, so your doctor will probably prescribe anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication, commonly known as blood thinners, to help prevent future strokes. You may also need to take medications to help lower high blood pressure or high cholesterol, treat a heart condition, or manage diabetes.
Be sure to talk with your doctor about your medications so that you understand why you are taking them. Ask about potential side effects and possible food and medicine interactions. To help you keep track, you or your caregiver should write down the name and dose of all your medications, including when and how to take them.
7. When should I call my doctor?
Talk with your doctor about what symptoms or situations may indicate a call. However, if you notice any of the following signs of stroke, call immediately. Don't delay -- minutes count when it comes to preventing damage from stroke.
- sudden numbness, paralysis, or weakness, especially on only one side of your body
- sudden dizziness, problems with walking, or loss of balance or coordination
- sudden changes in vision
- drooling or slurred speech
- sudden confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding speech
- a sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches or has no known cause
Strokes and migraines share many of the same symptoms and are sometimes mistaken for each other. But does a migraine cause a stroke or vice versa? Research doesn't show that.
Studies do show that if you get a lot of migraines, you may have a higher chance of having a stroke later in life. But the risk is small.
The Connections
If you suddenly have a severe headache, loss of vision in one eye, and muscle weakness on one side of the body, get medical attention right away. It could be a migraine, but it could be a stroke. A doctor should see you to say for sure.
People who get migraines have a greater chance of having a stroke caused by ablood clot.
Women are more likely than men to have migraines because of hormones.
Some people who get migraines know their next one is coming because they see a warning, or aura, like flashing lights. Those who have auras with their migraines have a greater risk of stroke than those who don’t have auras, research shows.
That chance is even higher if:
- You smoke.
- You take birth control pills.
- You're younger than 45.
If you get frequent migraines of any sort, see a neurologist. That’s a doctor who takes care of problems in the brain. Some medications can help prevent migrainesand make them not as painful or happen less often.
Lower Your Risk of Stroke
Lifestyle changes can help lower your chances of having a stroke.
- If you take the pill, you may want to talk to your doctor about the best form of birth control for you.
- If you smoke, quit.
- Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure is the main reason people have strokes. Changing your diet and exercise plan may help lower blood pressure, but you may also need medication. Talk to your doctor.
- Watch your cholesterol levels.
- Control your blood sugar.
- Keep your weight in a healthy range.
Sumber : MD
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